ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court will today (Monday) resume hearing of various high-profile cases, including those regarding the purchase of assets of the British Petroleum on exorbitant prices, privatisation of Habib Bank, unauthorised diversion of floodwater by the influential, contempt of court against superior court judges who took oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) in defiance of a SC restrain order of November 3, 2007.
A three-member Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Ghulam Rabbani and Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday will resume hearing the cases. Qazi Hussain Ahmad’s petition against the purchase of British Petroleum assets at high prices and many other cases regarding election matters and violation of human rights will be taken up by the court.
A four-member bench headed by Justice Javed Iqbal will hear a petition against the privatisation of Habib Bank Limited. Another four-member larger bench of Justice Mahmood Akhtar Shahid Siddiqui, Justice Jawwad S Khawaja, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Tariq Parvez will resume hearing on contempt cases against PCO judges.
A three-member bench of Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan, Justice Nasirul Mulk and Justice Mian Saqib Nisar will hear Mukhtaran Mai case. During the month, a 17-judge bench will also resume hearing on various petitions challenging the 18th Amendment. In the case of unauthorised diversions of floodwater, the court is likely to be informed about the initiatives taken by a four-member commission ordered by the court to probe into the matter.
The court had taken notice of the allegations following letters written by noted lawyer Fakhruddin G Ebrahim and Senate Deputy Chairman Jan Mohammad Jamali, and a petition filed by PML-Q MNA Marvi Memon.
